Five (group)
| Company type | Boy band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Heart Management |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Five (also presented as 5ive) is a British boy band established in 1997, comprising members Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson, Abz Love, and Jason "J" Brown. The ensemble enjoyed considerable commercial acclaim around the early 2000s, with global record sales surpassing 20 million units.
The band was assembled through auditions organized by Heart Management and subsequently signed to Simon Cowell's BMG/RCA label. Their inaugural single, "Slam Dunk (Da Funk)" (1997), climbed to number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. Their next release, "When the Lights Go Out," achieved international success, reaching number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 in the UK. Their first album, Five (1998), sold in excess of 4 million copies worldwide and yielded three more UK top-three singles: "Got the Feelin'," "Everybody Get Up," and "It's the Things You Do."
Their sophomore album, Invincible (1999), exceeded one million copies sold globally and included the UK number 2 hit "If Ya Gettin' Down" alongside two chart-topping singles: their rendition of "We Will Rock You" and "Keep On Movin'," the latter becoming their highest-selling track. Released amid internal discord, their third album, Kingsize (2001), featured the lead single "Let's Dance," which reached number 1 in the UK despite Sean Conlon’s absence from its music video. The group declared their disbandment in September 2001; a Greatest Hits compilation followed that November.
In 2006, Five briefly reunited without Conlon but disbanded shortly after. They reassembled again in 2012 with Conlon but without Brown, continuing as a four-member group under the Five name. They appeared on ITV2's documentary series The Big Reunion (2013) and took part in the associated tour. Abz Love exited the band in August 2014, leaving Conlon, Neville, and Robinson to perform as a trio until February 2025 when the original lineup reunited.
1997–1998: Formation and Five
In 1997, Bob and Chris Herbert of Heart Management—known for launching the Spice Girls—set out to create a boy band characterized by "attitude and edge." Over 3,000 hopefuls auditioned, including Russell Brand. The final group consisted of Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson, Sean Conlon, Jason "J" Brown, and Abz Love (born Richard Breen). Although initially planning for four members, management decided to include five after seeing Abz alongside the others.
The band secured a six-album contract with Simon Cowell and BMG/RCA. Recording sessions took place at Trinity Studios in Knaphill. Their debut single "Slam Dunk (Da Funk)" (1997) reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and was selected as the NBA's theme song for 1998 but had modest impact in the U.S. Their major breakthrough arrived with "When the Lights Go Out," which entered the U.S. top ten and received gold certification. The debut album Five topped charts internationally and peaked at number 27 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Following singles such as "Got the Feelin," "Everybody Get Up," and "Until the Time Is Through" attained top-five positions worldwide, with the latter two peaking at number two in the UK. Five distinguished themselves from contemporaries like Take That and Boyzone through their energetic sound and streetwise image, as well as their active participation in songwriting—a rarity among boy bands of that era.
Interestingly, Five declined prominent tracks like Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" and NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye," both penned by Max Martin. Despite Simon Cowell’s offers, these songs were rejected as they did not align with Five’s artistic style or existing commitments.
1999–2000: Invincible
In August 1999, Five launched the lead single from their sophomore album, Invincible, titled "If Ya Gettin' Down". The track achieved widespread international success but was prevented from reaching number one in the UK by Ricky Martin. By October 1999, "[[Keep On Movin' (Five song)|Keep On MovinTemplate:'-]]" became their inaugural UK chart-topper and their highest-selling single to date. Shortly thereafter, the album secured a position within the UK top five. The subsequent release, "Don't Wanna Let You Go", attained a peak position of number nine in March 2000. On 3 March 2000, Five shared the stage with rock legends Queen to open the BRIT Awards, delivering a reimagined version of "We Will Rock You". The band received the "Best Pop Act" award, and their Queen cover climbed to number one in the UK by July.
Throughout early 2000, Five embarked on an extensive international tour spanning the UK, Europe, Russia, Australasia, and South America, performing as a quartet after Neville contracted chickenpox. Their UK engagements continued, including an appearance at Party in the Park alongside Queen. A re-release of Invincible included remixed tracks, live recordings, and the bonus song "Don't Fight It Baby". Plans for a US album launch were abandoned following their dismissal by Arista Records; complications with their Asian label also resulted in the cancellation of their Asian tour. Despite these challenges, Five began composing material for their next studio project and sustained their award-winning momentum across Europe, initiating a second UK tour by December.
2001: Kingsize and disbandment
In January 2001, Five performed at Rock in Rio in Brazil before an audience nearing 500,000. By May, their third album Kingsize was finalized. Promotion for its lead single "Let's Dance" commenced in June. On 9 July, Sean Conlon stepped back from activities due to glandular fever; it was later disclosed that his absence stemmed from stress-related mental health concerns amid internal tensions within the group. The remaining members advanced promotional efforts for the single using a cardboard representation of Conlon in its music video. Released in mid-August, "Let's Dance" secured their third UK number one spot for two consecutive weeks. However, on 23 August promotional appearances were halted after Ritchie Neville sustained an Achilles tendon injury; Conlon remained sidelined due to exhaustion. Kingsize debuted at number three on the charts and was certified Gold.
On 27 September 2001, Five announced their official breakup. Their final single from Kingsize, a double A-side featuring "Closer to Me" and "Rock the Party", was released on 22 October. Subsequently, on 19 November, they issued a Greatest Hits compilation encompassing fifteen hit singles, two remixes, and one new track.
2006–2007: Initial reunion
On 17 September 2006, four members of Five declared their reunion through the group's official Myspace page. A press event was initially planned at The Scala in London but was relocated to Bar Academy Islington following a shooting incident nearby. Sean Conlon did not rejoin due to commitments with Sony. The band commenced recording fresh material for a fourth studio album in collaboration with producers such as Guy Chambers, Anders Bagge, and Trak Invaders, while scheduling a tour for 2007. By January 2007, half of the album had been completed under new management led by Richard Beck, who also secured an MTV documentary series entitled Five - The Revive. Although snippets of new songs were unveiled in March 2007, the group failed to obtain a favorable record deal and announced in May that they would discontinue efforts toward a full comeback.
2012–2024: Second reunion, Love's exit, and the release of Time
In 2012, Conlon re-entered negotiations for a second band reunion. The lineup was officially confirmed on 18 October as a quartet, excluding Brown who opted out due to concerns over privacy. The following year, Five appeared in the ITV2 documentary series The Big Reunion and joined the accompanying tour. In September 2013, they received the Best Music Act (On a Reality TV Show) award at the National Reality TV Awards. Later in 2013, the group embarked on the 5ive Greatest Hits Tour across the UK and Australia. However, in August 2014, Love abruptly left the band via a Twitter announcement.
February 2016 saw the release of Five’s compilation album Keep On Movin' – The Best of Five. In April 2019, they revealed plans for The Boys Are Back! UK tour set for 2020 alongside fellow boy bands 911, Damage, and A1; Robinson clarified that a full original lineup reunion was not intended. The tour was subsequently delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Towards the end of 2020, Five confirmed an Australian Greatest Hits tour scheduled for 2021 with support from pop duo Sister2Sister. In June 2021, they released "Keep On Movin (21 Remix)" followed by promotional singles "Shangri-La" and "Making Me Fall" in August. On 1 October, the single "Warm Light" was unveiled. Their fourth studio album, titled Time, was launched on 28 January 2022. Robinson told NME that the cancellation of live performances during the pandemic inspired their return to recording new material, describing Time as his most proud work to date.
Five commenced their Australian Greatest Hits Tour on 5 March 2024.[1]
2025: Third reunion and comeback tour
On 24 February 2025, Love announced via Twitter his return to the group after having departed in 2014.[2] The next day, J Brown also confirmed his comeback. By 27 February, the band publicly declared their reunion as a full five-member ensemble and launched details for the Keep On Movin' Tour across UK venues from October through December 2025.[3][4] Initially, Naughty Boy was slated as the supporting act but withdrew after missing the Cardiff show on 29 October due to health issues; MistaJam stepped in for the remainder of the UK dates.[5]
The reunion originated in 2023 when Robinson rented an AirBnB property in Birmingham to facilitate reconnection among members. Neville described this experience as "a genuine healing process" after more than two decades apart.[6]
On 22 August 2025, Five announced an extension of the Keep On Movin' Tour with five scheduled performances across Australia and New Zealand planned for May 2026.[7]
Members
- Scott Robinson
(1997–2001, 2006–2007, 2012–present) - Ritchie Neville
(1997–2001, 2006–2007, 2012–present) - Sean Conlon
(1997–2001, 2012–present) - Abz Love
(1997–2001, 2006–2007, 2012–2014, 2025–present) - Jason "J" Brown
(1997-2001, 2006–2007, 2025–present)
Timeline
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Discography
- Five (1998)
- Invincible (1999)
- Kingsize (2001)
- Time (2022)
Tours
As Headliners
- Everybody Get Up with 5ive (1999)
- Invincible Tour (2000–2001)
- 5ive Greatest Hits Tour (2013)
- Loud and Intimate Tour (2015)
- 5ive Tour (2016)
- Australian Greatest Hits Tour (2024)
- Keep on Movin' Tour (2025–2026)
Co-Headlining
- The Big Reunion Tour (2013)
- Christmas Party Tour (2013)
- The Big Reunion: Boy Band Tour (2014)
- The Boys Are Back Tour (2021–2022)
- 90s Baby! Pop UK Tour (October 2022)
Supporting Act
- McBusted Tour (2014)
Awards
- Best Pop Act – 2000
- MTV Select Award – 1998
National Reality TV Awards
- Best Music Act (Reality TV Show category) – 2013
Silver Clef Awards
- Best Newcomer – 2000
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
- Best New Act – 1997
- Best Haircut (Scott Robinson) – 1997, 1998, 1999
- Best British Band – 1998, 1999, 2000
- Best Album – 1998
- Best Cover – 1998
TMF Awards (Netherlands)
- Best Single – 2000
- Best Album – 2000
- Best International Group – 2000
TV Hits Awards
- Best New Band – 1999
- Best Single ("We Will Rock You" (Queen cover)) – 2000
See also
- List of 1990s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1990s
- List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2000s
External links
- Articles with short description
- Five (group)
- Brit Award winners
- English pop music groups
- English boy bands
- English vocal groups
- Teen pop groups
- Pop music groups from London
- Musical groups established in 1997
- Musical groups disestablished in 2001
- Musical groups reestablished in 2006
- Musical groups disestablished in 2007
- Musical groups reestablished in 2012
- MTV Europe Music Award winners
- Bertelsmann Music Group artists
- RCA Records artists
- Arista Records artists
- 1997 establishments in England
- Pages with script errors